Prickly Pear Cactus

Hate, hate, hate this cactus. It is definitely not a good thing to have at the farm. It grows everywhere and it is almost impossible to get rid of. It is not of any value (at least to farmers and ranchers) as no living thing can eat it. You can spray it, but it will take several years to die. The only time I tolerate this pesky plant is in May when it attempts to redeem itself by producing beautiful yellow blooms. This summer we are going to experiment using a blow torch to burn off all the spines and see if the cattle will eat the cactus that way. Farmers/ranchers have tried this south of us with fairly good results. We will see. I have my doubts. Can’t you just picture us in 100 degree heat using a blow torch? This new idea of cowboy’s may be a very short-lived one! I am thinking next January would be a perfect month to test out this little project.

This is a blooming cactus that cowboy captured this weekend with his phone.